The Kindom: A Christmas Affair
by UrgingBee
Summary: Hah, I don't even know. It's a thing I did for some friends. I hope you enjoy it. Spoiler alerts for my other story. D:


**As a note of introduction: this was written as a teleplay two years ago. Please forgive any floundering in my speech, errors, or general "This sucks" writing. You have no idea how much I had to resist changing every bit of it as I went along. Thank you for reading and have a happy Christmas!**

**Characters**

**(A) Alexander**, the Prince

**(D) Damien**, the Faithful Knight

**(S) Shouko**, Damien's Betrothed

**(FK) The Forlorn King**, the King of a Country with a Dying Economy

**(WP) The Wicked Princess**, a Temptress who practices Magic and is the Daughter of the Forlorn King

**(DB) Duchess Beatrice**, Alexander's Admirer from afar

**(Dr) The Dragon**, the Unwilling Servant of the Wicked Princess

**Setting**

Long ago, in the Renaissance period. A small kingdom riddled with war, famine, and a floundering economy.

**Scene One**

[The scene opens on a view of a rainy, dreary moor. It's raining heavily. We turn to face a gray castle, worn and old, and zoom in on one large window. We continue moving in until we pass through the glass, and into a small library. There is one person in the library, seated at a desk with a quill in hand. His hair is black, ruffled, and long. He's reading over a long letter written in calligraphy.]

[The man smiles suddenly, and then laughs.]

**(A)** Damien, come here! Beatrice is superbly entertaining; you must read what she has to say!

[A tall man with brown hair steps around from behind one of the rows of books. He walks over, and picks up the parchment. Slowly, he smiles.]

**(D)** Sounds like our ladies miss us, Alex. Look, even the Sugar Fairy sent her greetings. It seems that she's found a beau with the Bard. **(**** lol yeah this was my headcanon two years ago)**

**(A)** I'm glad.

[He stands, walks over to the door.]

**(A)** But I miss them so, Damien!

**(D)** We'll get to see them soon, my Prince.

[There is a clattering in the hallway. We hear loud curses.]

**(WP)** Imbecile! Oaf! Look at this mess.

[There is more activity in the hall as we move out of the door and see a beautiful, yet fuming, princess move toward us.]

**(WP)** Alex! How have you been?

[Both Damien and Alex bow.]

**(WP)** Oh, don't bow. You'll hurt your back. [She finally acknowledges Damien.] Hello, Sir Damien. What's this? [She takes the paper from Damien's hand.] You have friends coming? [She narrows her eyes.] _Lady_ friends?

[Alexander nods.] Yes, your Highness. Damien's fiancée and my… sweetheart.

[The Princess barely holds back a gasp.]

**(WP)** Really? And they'll be here… [She consults the paper.] tomorrow?

[Both men look stricken.]

** (A)** They _are_? We'd better get to work, then.

[The men rush off to make preparations. The Princess glares after them.]

**(WP)** Well, we'll just have to make sure their visit doesn't go _quite_ as planned.

[She crosses her arms and smirks.]

**S****cene Two**

[The next day. It's foggy, but Alex and Damien are outside, greeting their friends.]

**(A)** You shouldn't have come. [He smiles.] But I'm glad you did – we missed you.

**(S)** The same goes for us.

[We pan out, then move into an ill-furnished, small dining room. The King, Princess, and our quartet of courters are seated at the table, dining on a roast goose.]

[The King speaks.]

**(FK)** Pray tell… How was your journey?

[Beatrice smiles at him, putting down her fork and fidgeting with her napkin in her lap.]

**(DB)** It was wonderful. We even got to listen to Parisa's bard.

**(FK)** That's good. But –

[Suddenly, there is lightning and thunder. The door flies open, and a knight staggers in.]

**(Knight)** D-dragon! It's outside!

[He collapses. Everyone but the Princess rushes outside.]

** (WP)** Perfect – absolutely perfect.

**Scene Three **

[One day later. In the library.]

**(FK)** What shall we do? The dragon wants a noble maiden with fiery red hair. [Beatrice looks up.] We're in a country of blondes!

[Beatrice clears her throat.]

**(DB)** If I may, your Majesty… [She removes her hair veil to reveal a long red braid.] I'm a redhead. I want to volunteer.

[Alex shakes his head, despairing.]

**(A)** No!

**(DB)** Yes. The dragon promised his Majesty not to raze all of the crops and livestock if the king could provide him a red-haired maiden with noble blood within three days. Not only that, but every month of my services, the dragon will pay gold. Enough so that after a year, the country will be out of debt and having a thriving economy once again. I can do that.

[Alex buries his head in his hands. The king looks stricken.]

**(FK)** You would do that for a country that is not your own?

**(DB)** Yes.

**Scene Four**

[On the dragon's mountain. Alexander and Beatrice are saying their farewells.]

**(A)** I'll miss you more than a fish misses the water. Take care. [He kisses are her hand, then gathers her in a tight embrace.]

**(Dr)** Now be off!

[Damien grasps his sword, and Alex kisses Beatrice's hand once more.]

[They start going back down the mountain. Beatrice waves until she can't see them any more. She turns to the cave, and we walk with her into the dragon's den. Smoke billows out and hits her in the face. She starts coughing.]

**(Dr)** [Impatiently.] Get in here!

[She enters, still coughing, and suddenly stops moving. We follow her eyes up to a large auburn drake staring at her from atop a pile of gold. He is four times as long as she is tall.]

**(Dr)** Well? Stop gawking. Put on some breeches and a skirt – ladyware doesn't fare well here. [Suddenly, he transforms into a human-looking male. He slides down the pile, and we see that he has wings. Beatrice shakes her head, and goes to change.]

**(DB)** I must be seeing things.

**(Dr)** You aren't.

[Beatrice is changing. We see only her shoulders up, then we pan up to look at the changeling, who is reclining on his gold.]

**(Dr)** You're going to be here for a year. You'll be cooking, cleaning, counting – you know, women's stuff. Oh, and telling stories. _J'adore_ stories.

**(DB)** [Sharply.] You speak French?

**(Dr)** Everyone does. Or should. [He shrugs.] Don't know which.

**(DB)** … Oh. [She emerges from behind a pile.] … Are you going to eat me? [It sounds more like a statement than a question.]

**(Dr)** No. You people taste beastly!

**Scene Five**

[A few months later.]

[Beatrice is telling a story. We zoom in just in time to hear the end of her tale.]

**(DB)** … and so, in time, they grew to love each other. They became… family.

**(Dr)** [The dragon gives her a look.] Is that what we're becoming? Family? 'Cause when you're a changeling, no one gives a square troll's poop about you. [He pauses.] It feels good to have someone give a square troll's poop about you.

[Beatrice smiles. Close scene.]

**Scene Six**

[Dead of winter, dead of night. Top of one of the castle's turrets.]

**(WP)** You must kill her before the next new moon! It's already been eleven months!

[We see in the dim moonlight the princess and the dragon. The changeling is resting on one of the walls, looking aghast.]

**(Dr)** That wasn't part of the deal! I'm not a true dragon; I have a heart!

**(WP)** [The Princess snarls.] If you don't kill her, I'll kill both of you!

[We zoom out to see Damien, stricken. He rushes down the to the library. Close scene.]

**Scene Seven**

[Top of the mountain once again. Beatrice sits, staring out at the moors. The dragon in dragon form lies behind her, tense. It's the night before the new moon.]

**(DB)** You seem worried.

[The dragon is alerted to her still being there.]

**(Dr)** … I am. [He places one large paw over the other, and he lays down his head. He breathes out clouds of smoke.]

[Thunder and lightning suddenly break out. A ghostly apparition appears. It is the princess.]

**(WP)** Kill her! Now! They've discovered my plans!

**(DB)** Kill me?!

[The dragon is stricken. He turns back into his true form. His tawny hair covers his face.]

**(Dr)** No.

**(WP)** What do you mean, "No"?!

**(Dr)** I won't do it!

**(WP)** Fine! I'll do it! [Lightning and electricity crackle from her fingers.] Come here, my elusive little hummingbird. Come to your death. [She appears to have gone insane. She's staggering. She cackles madly, the sky exploding behind her.]

[Beatrice is hiding behind a boulder in the cave when she sees a shield and enchanted sword. She recalls the changeling telling her it was invulnerable to electricity.]  
[She grabs it and runs outside.]

**(WP)** Giving up?!

**(DB)** Never. [She steels herself, and walks through the lightning, parting it with her sword. She sees the changeling lying, seemingly dead, on the ground. Her face shows shock, then pain, then raw fury. She charges, and hits the princess over the head with the shield. The princess is out – but one of her hands pulls Beatrice with her. The electricity courses into Beatrice – it forms like an arrow through her stomach, then solidifies in the form of a long, crystalline dagger.]

[We change perspectives to see Alex and Damien with a band of knights climbing over the side of the mountain. Alex rushes to Beatrice's side as the changeling staggers over. Alex has tears streaming down his face. So does the changeling.]

**(A)** I'm so sorry. [He sobs. The changeling grasps the knife and pulls it out of Beatrice's abdomen.]

**(Dr)** … I'm going to heal her. [Alex stares, then nods and pulls off his shirt to put it on the gushing wound. He puts pressure on it. Beatrice coughs and comes around. She speaks raggedly.]

**(DB)** Cael*… Alex… what happened?

**(Dr)** She stabbed you. You're free – I'm free. [The princess is sneaking away, but trips over a rock and falls down the mountain. She is dead. The body quickly turns to ashes, and a baby is where the princess laid. Damien is down there, picking up the baby.]

**(D)** It… It's the king's long lost son!

[Minor time skip; jump back to the trio.]

** (Dr)** I need to help you. But… I won't be here anymore. I'm afraid you'll forget.

**(DB)** I won't… brother. [She smiles feebly.]

[Cael is crying freely now.]

**(Dr)** I'll miss you… goodbye. [He starts to glow, and as the glow moves from his chest down to his arms and into her, he fades away with it.** Beatrice is crying as well. The glow envelops her. Finally, it subsides.]

[A single, clear and auburn scale rests on her healed, bloody abdombe. Alex picks it up and hands it to Beatrice, who sits up and buries in face in her chest.]

**(DB)** He g-gave up his _l-life_ for me… he was like a b-brother to me… a-and now he's gone.

**(A)** Shh-sh-sh…

**(DB)** And you didn't give up. You didn't forget. Didn't the princess enchant you to forget about me?

**(A)** Yes… but true love never forgets, no matter what magic someone uses on you. And Cael made sure you won't forget anything. [He points to the scale.]

[Zoom in on scale in Beatrice's hand. It flashes, and one could swear you could see an eye in it.]

[fin]

* This is the dragon's name.

** He's healing her.


End file.
